Have you ever been wrapped up in an intense game of kickball or tag on the playground? You're having so much fun that you don't even notice that it's time to head back to class. You don't even hear the teacher telling you it's time to go.

So what gets your attention? It's that shrill, loud sound that cuts right through to the center of your brain. What are we talking about? A whistle, of course!

From the beginning of time, teachers and principals have used a loud whistle to get the attention of kids on the playground. There's just something about the sound of a loud whistle that will stop you in your tracks!

Can you whistle? A whistle is simply a high-pitched sound made by forcing air through a small opening. For example, most people whistle by forcing air through a small hole they form by puckering their lips into an “O" shape.

Now, if you pucker your lips and blow air through them, you probably won't hear a whistle. There's a little more to whistling you need to know about. You'll need to get your tongue involved, too. And your lungs. Your tongue and your lungs help to regulate the speed of the air flow and the exact direction it takes as it passes by your lips.

If you've never whistled before, it might seem a little too complicated. Trust us, though. Everyone can learn to whistle. It just takes time and a lot of practice! Learning to whistle takes a lot of trial and error, so don't give up.

If you're having trouble whistling by blowing air out of your lips, you might want to try sucking air in instead. The direction the air flows doesn't really matter and sometimes it can be easier to learn to whistle by sucking air in rather than blowing it out.

Once you get the hang of whistling by blowing air out through your lips, you can challenge yourself to learn how to whistle with your fingers in your mouth. You may have seen some people do this on occasion. This technique can produce an extremely loud and shrillwhistle that will get everyone's attention! You can check online for videos that show you how to go about learning this special whistling technique.

Wonder Words (15)

Wonder What's Next?

Tomorrow’s Wonder of the Day was once alive, but is now hard as a rock!

Try It Out

Ready to go to work? Don't worry. You can whistle while you do it! Grab a friend or family member and check out one or more of the following activities:

Can you whistle? Let's find out! If you need some help getting started, check out this helpful instructional video: How To Learn To Whistle. If you can't whistle by blowing out, you might be able to get the hang of it by sucking air in through your lips first. Learning to whistle can take a lot of practice, so don't worry if you don't get the hang of it right away. It's like riding a bicycle. At first, it seems really hard. But once you get the hang of it, you'll wonder how you ever couldn't whistle. Once you start making your first whistling sounds, experiment by trying to make different types of sounds. Can you whistle a really high note? How about a really low note? Can you whistle along to your favorite tune on the radio?

Up for a challenge? Jump online to check out a tutorial for How To Whistle with Your Fingers! If you master this technique, you'll never again have to worry about not getting attention when you want it. You'll be able to produce an ear-shattering whistle that'll stop traffic!

Do you know someone who can whistle really well? Are they as good as the whistlers in the videos below? Watch and see. What do you think? Could you ever whistle this well? + Whistling Song + Whistling Lesson

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Tyler

Apr 10, 2017

I was wondering if your tongue needs to be in a certain shape to whistle or if there are a variation of shapes your tongue has to be in to whistle because I've been trying to whistle for about 5 years and I constantly fail and if u know what the best shape your tongue should be in to whistle tell, or just give me a recommendation of what shape it should be.
Thank you,
Sincerely Tyler

I can whistle But Ms and my brothers got in a fight and one was saying that when u breathe in Ur not whistling even if Ur making a whistling sound he is saying it because he can breathe out and still whistle

Wonderopolis

Ray

Feb 7, 2016

I've been practicing for the last 50 years and still can't whistle. So many times in my life, lacking singing ability, I wished that I could whistle along with a song but could never create a single note. My brothers used to taunt me when I tried to whistle and they all could do it without having put any real effort into learning. Sorry, but some people just weren't built for whistling. Saying that anyone can learn to whistle is just going to add to the embarrassment and frustration of someone who will never have this ability.

Wonderopolis

Elizabeth Thompson

May 21, 2013

I can't whistle! I'm almost 12, and I still can't whistle! I know 5 years olds that can whistle! Well I used to know how to whistle. I say whistle too much :D Well anyways, everytime I try, It never works! Have a nice day :)

Wonderopolis

May 21, 2013

It's okay, Elizabeth, some of us here at Wonderopolis can't whistle, either! :) Perhaps the talent will come back to you soon! Keep trying, and we bet you have lots of talents to share: #684-- Are You Talented? http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/are-you-talented/ :)

Wonderopolis

Wonderopolis

Apr 29, 2013

Hey there, Wonder Friend Jaden! Thanks for stopping by Wonderopolis again! We are glad to hear that you can whistle (some of us here at Wonderopolis are still working on our whistling skills...) and you'll be reminded of our Wonder whenever you do! While we create each Wonder, we don't create the videos, but this video made us smile, and that's why we shared it! :)

morgan holland

Wonderopolis

Apr 29, 2013

Great question, Morgan! We have lots of Wonder Friends here at Wonderopolis who help us research, write, edit and post the Wonders of the Day! It's a super fun place to be, and we are glad that awesome friends like you visit us! Thanks for stopping by! :)

eve

Apr 16, 2013

I think that this wonder can realy help poeople whistle. Everyone can learn how to whistle just from looking at this wonder. People and kids everywhere can now whistle even if kids at school are on the website they can still learn how. Thanks wonderopolis. I will always come here for info.

Wonderopolis

Apr 16, 2013

Hey Eve, thank you for sharing your comment! We are whistling a tune here at Wonderopolis thanks to your SUPER comment! We look forward to practicing our whistling since we've learned so much with you! :)

Belyndise

Wonderopolis

Apr 8, 2013

Hey there, Belyndise! We're glad you've been practicing your whistling skills-- it takes some time! We have some Wonder Friends here at Wonderopolis who are in the same boat as you, practice makes perfect! Thanks for sharing your comment today! :)

Wonder Friend Sarah

Apr 8, 2013

Hello wondermans!(and ladies)
You guys remember me right? I'm Sarah from team cassie a couple years ago. I'm in 6th grade, almost done and I'm loving it!
I like your wonders, your 88 away from your 1000th wonder! Congrats!!
Also I love your website. A fun way to learn is what I think!
Til the next comment,
Wonder Friend
PS: How'd you guys come up with such a good site? You all must love the concept of wondering!

Wonderopolis

Apr 8, 2013

Welcome back, Wonder Friend Sarah! We are so glad you visited us today, and you're counting down until our 1,000th Wonder, too! Thanks for the update! :)
We hope you're having a great time in 6th grade, and we hope you'll join us again for another Wonder soon! It's great to say hello! We really love WONDERing here at Wonderopolis- it's so much fun that we just have to share it! :)

Annie

Wonderopolis

Apr 8, 2013

Hey Annie, thanks for sharing your awesome comment about today's Wonder! We're so happy it made you smile! We bet you can whistle quite a few tunes!
We look forward to digging up tomorrow's Wonder with you! :)

Sofie

Wonderopolis

Apr 8, 2013

It's okay, Sofie, we have some Wonder Friends here at Wonderopolis who are having trouble getting their lips to cooperate, too! Sometimes it just takes time, patience and practice to get it right! Keep up the great work! :)

Wonderopolis

Miss Fleenor

Apr 8, 2013

We did not know that both your tongue and lungs help you to whistle. (Krysten)
We already know that many people can make music from whistling. (Emma)
Anyone can whistle...or so they say! (Cameron)
We know that it takes lots of practice, because some of us still are not able to whistle. (Neleh)
We learned that a whistle is a high, shrill tone. (Malkam)
Some whistles are with our fingers, and some are not. (Tommy)

Wonderopolis

Apr 8, 2013

Hey there, Miss Fleenor and our Wonder Friends in her class! Krysten, Emma, Cameron, Neleh, Malkam and Tommy have been using their awesome brains and mouths to whistle with us today! Thanks for sharing what you learned, what you liked, and your beautiful whistling, too! :)

Deanna Allison

Wonderopolis

Apr 8, 2013

Hey there, Deanna! We don't offer the option to print a Wonder directly from Wonderopolis, but we're working on it for the very near future. In the meantime, you can choose the email option and send yourself an email. From there you can print away! :)

Mrs.W's Readers

Apr 8, 2013

We are wondering who invented whistling and when it was first recorded?
What is the age most kids learn to whistle?
Is there a record of the loudest or the longest whistle?
How do you whistle with your fingers in your mouth?
Thanks for your great daily WONDERS ! :)

Wonderopolis

Apr 8, 2013

Great questions, Mrs. W's Readers! Perhaps you can poll your classroom to find out when everyone first learned to whistle!
The loudest whistle has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records; in 2004, Marco Ferrera was recorded the loudest whistler! :)
Thanks for sharing your awesome questions with us, we hope you'll continue to Wonder about whistling! :)

m

Wonderopolis

Apr 8, 2013

Great prediction, Wonder Friend M! Have you checked out our other dino-riffic Wonder?
Wonder #275-- How Do Dinosaurs Get Their Names? http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-do-dinosaurs-get-their-names/ :)

Berkleigh

Apr 8, 2013

Hi! This was a cool wonder! I have tried to whistle, but I can't. And yes, like Blakeleigh said, our brother can whistle, and he sounds like some kind of bird when he does it. And our older sister can, too. Thank you for today's wonder! :) ;)

tanner

Wonderopolis

Max!!!

Apr 8, 2013

_____________________________________________________________________
Hi!!! I Haven't Been Here In A While :( That Was Cool I Wish I Could Whistle!!! :D
_____________________________________________________________________Wonder What's Next???
Tomorrow’s Wonder Of The Day Was Once Alive, But Is Now Hard As A Rock!!!
Yes It's going to be Fossils Or Trex!!! :D
_____________________________________________________________________
I Wonder How You Made This Website??? Anyway See Ya!!! :D

Wonderopolis

Apr 8, 2013

Welcome back to Wonderopolis, Max, we're so happy you're here today! Even if you can't whistle, we're glad you've joined us today to Wonder! We think you're on the right path for tomorrow's Wonder, too! We look forward to seeing you soon, and we hope you have a TERRIFIC day!
Wonderopolis was created on October 4, 2010 and we have continued to add a new Wonder each day-- we've surpassed 900 Wonders! Can you believe it?! :)

Ms. G's Class

Apr 8, 2013

Hey Wonderopolis!
We want to learn how to whistle with our fingers (especially our teacher).
We think we know what tomorrow's wonder of the day will be... about dinosaurs' bones, gold or volcanoes! We think it will be interesting.
THANKS!

Wonderopolis

Apr 8, 2013

Hey there, Ms. G's Class! Thanks for WONDERing with us... we're still working on whistling with our fingers here at Wonderopolis! We've all been giggling as we try our hardest! There's been a lot of accidental spitting, that's for certain! :)
We think you've hit the gold with your predictions for the next Wonder of the Day®! We look forward to finding out for sure! :)

Mrs. Tompkins' Class

Wonderopolis

Apr 8, 2013

Whistling is certainly a skill, and we're glad so many of our Wonder Friends in Mrs. Tompkins' class have been practicing their whistling abilities! We LOVE to whistle while we Wonder... and we hope to see you tomorrow for more WONDERing! Thank you for sharing your awesome predictions! :)

Wonderopolis

Froggy 1

Apr 8, 2013

Hi Wonderopolis!
We learned that you can whistle in or out.
How do you think of the things for wonder of the day?
We predict tomorrow's wonder will be about a fossil, a bone, a dinosaur, or a skeleton.

Wonderopolis

Apr 8, 2013

Hey there, Froggy 1! Happy Monday, thanks for visiting us at Wonderopolis!
We are always on the search for a new Wonder of the Day®, and we encourage you to nominate Wonders of your own here: http://wonderopolis.org/nominate-wonder/ :)
Thanks for sharing your guesses for the next Wonder of the Day®, we think you'll enjoy our historic adventure! :)

Claudia

Wonderopolis

Apr 8, 2013

It's tough, Claudia, and it takes a lot of practice! We Wonder if any of your friends or family members know how to whistle with their fingers... and can they teach you? Or you can search for some cool instructional videos online! :)

Wonderopolis

Mrs. Thomas' Class

Apr 8, 2013

Kylie wondered if it would be harder to whistle as you get older because you need to make a small opening and as you get older, your mouth gets bigger and it would be harder to make a small opening.
Gabryel wonders if it is harder to whistle with your fingers in your mouth.
Isabela didn't know that you could whistle by sucking in air.

Wonderopolis

Apr 8, 2013

We're so glad our Wonder Friends in Mrs. Thomas' Class are thinking outside the box today! HOORAY! :)
Thanks for sharing your awesome question, Kylie! We know lots of older people who can still whistle quite well, but perhaps after all that practice as a kid, they're still good at whistling! :)
We sure think it's tough to whistle with your fingers, Gabreyel! Have you tried it? We're still working on it here at Wonderopolis...
We hope you'll test all different kinds of whistling techniques, Isabela, from blowing the air out, sucking it in and using your fingers, too! Don't forget to wash your hands before and after you try it! :)

Mrs. Hess' Class

Apr 8, 2013

Thoughts: I am very familiar with what these people used to make the video. I use it every day. (Duyen) I would really like to be able to finsh the song. (Joe)
Connections: This reminds me of the muppets movie where the characters whistled in the end just like the article we read. (Cristian) This reminds me of Flo-Rida because the music video used his song. (Pedro)
Predictions: What is a fossil? (Maria) Do you know how fossils are made? (Shalize) Is Medusa a myth? (Duyen) Have you ever discovered dinosaur bones? (Gabrielle) How do you wrap mummies? (Briahna) Can you turn Egypitan emperors into stone? (Jake) Who is God? (Joe) Who is Balto? (Cristian) What is lava? (Mrs. Hess)
We are back today from a two week spring break! We missed you!

Wonderopolis

Apr 8, 2013

Welcome back to Wonderopolis, Mrs. Hess' Class! We hope you had a WONDERful time during Spring Break! :)
Duyen, Joe, Cristian and Pedro, it's super cool that you've been WONDERing about how the video was made, and what song was used! Way to go! We'll have this tune stuck in our heads all days long! :)
Maria, Shalize, Duyen, Garbrielle, Briahna, Jake, Joe, Cristian and Mrs. Hess, thank you for your awesome predictions! From fossils to Greek mythology to hot lava, we are excited to Wonder with you again tomorrow! HOORAY for you! :)

smith family

Wonderopolis

Apr 8, 2013

Hello to our Wonder Family, the Smiths! Thanks for sharing your comment with us today-- we hope you've been whistling while you Wonder! Thanks for sharing your prediction for tomorrow- what a bright guess! :)

(plural) each of the pair of organs situated within the rib cage, consisting of elastic sacs with branching passages into which air is drawn, so that oxygen can pass into the blood and carbon dioxide be removed

a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity

to a high degree or extent; favorably or with much respect

the act of testing something

of or relating to or used in instruction, that is, a statement that describes how to do something

(especially with reference to a person's face) tightly gather or contract into wrinkles or small folds

the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture